South Africa
- African Countries.

Flag description: Two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and
blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the
arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black
isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands;
the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by
narrow white stripes.

Note: Prior to 26 April 1994, the
flag was actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in
the centre of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which
has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the
miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State
with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a
horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side.

The Republic of South Africa, also known by other official names, is a
country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The South
African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) and borders both the
Atlantic and Indian oceans. To the north of South Africa lie
Namibia,
Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the
east are Mozambique
and Swaziland, while the Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent enclave surrounded by South African
territory.

South Africa is located at the southernmost region of Africa,
with a long coastline that stretches more than 2,500 kilometres (1,550 mi)
and across two oceans (the South Atlantic and the Indian).

With 471,443 sq mi (1,221,037 km²), is the 25th-largest country in the world
and contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in the world. Extensive
fossil remains at the Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Makapansgat caves suggest
that various australopithecines existed in South Africa from about three
million years ago.

If you want to travel in southern Africa, then South Africa is a good place to
start your tour.
While you can fly into any country in southern Africa, most flights will
route through South Africa anyway. South Africa is also a good place to get
used to travelling in the region (though some would argue that
Namibia is
better for that). Of course South Africa is not only a jumping off point, it
is itself a superb destination rich in culture, fauna & flora and history.

Often outsiders' views of South Africa are
distorted by their little media generated knowledge of "Apartheid" and news
from most other countries in the rest of Africa.

Contrary to popular belief, South Africa is not as devastatingly poor, yes, their government is rapidly
going to pot, due to corruption, crime and anti-white racism.

Although the rural part of South Africa remains among the poor
and the least developed parts of the world and poverty in the townships can
be appalling, progress is being made. The process of recovering from
apartheid, which lasted almost 46 years, is quite slow. In fact, South
Africa's United Nations Human Development Index which was slowly
improving in the final years of apartheid, has declined dramatically
since 1996 under black majority rule, largely due to the AIDS pandemic,
corruption, crime, together with poverty levels, appear to be on the
increase.

South Africa boasts a well-developed infrastructure and has all
the modern amenities and technologies, all come from developed during the
years of "apartheid" white minority rule.

The government is corrup and increasing. The ANC government generally have a low
level of respect for democratic institutions and human rights, and although the
government's support of the misrule of neighbouring Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe
has raised questions about its commitment to human rights and even democracy
itself, the rest of the world do not seem to take an issue with it.

South Africa has a generally temperate climate, due in part to it being
surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, by its location
in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average
elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and
further inland. Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great
variety of climatic zones exist.

The climatic zones vary, from the extreme desert of the southern Namib in
the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the east along the
Mozambique border and the Indian ocean. From the east, the land quickly
rises over a mountainous escarpment towards the interior plateau known as
the Highveld. Even though South Africa is classified as semi-arid, there is
considerable variation in climate as well as topography.

The interior of South Africa is a vast, rather flat, and sparsely populated
scrubland, Karoo, which is drier towards the northwest along the Namib
desert. In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well-watered, which
produces a climate similar to the tropics. The extreme southwest has a
climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean with wet winters and
hot, dry summers, hosting the famous Fynbos Biome. This area also produces
much of the wine in South Africa. This region is also particularly known for
its wind, which blows intermittently almost all year. The severity of this
wind made passing around the Cape of Good Hope particularly treacherous for
sailors, causing many shipwrecks.

Further east on the south coast, rainfall
is distributed more evenly throughout the year, producing a green landscape.
This area is popularly known as the Garden Route. The Free State is
particularly flat due to the fact that it lies centrally on the high
plateau. North of the Vaal River, the Highveld becomes better watered and
does not experience subtropical extremes of heat. Johannesburg, in the
centre of the Highveld, is at 1,740 metres (5,709 ft) and receives an annual
rainfall of 760 millimetres (30 in). Winters in this region are cold,
although snow is rare.

To the north of Johannesburg, the altitude drops beyond the escarpment of the Highveld,
and turns into the lower lying Bushveld, an area of mixed dry forest and an
abundance of wildlife. East of the Highveld, beyond the eastern escarpment,
the Lowveld stretches towards the Indian ocean. It has particularly high
temperatures, and is also the location of extended subtropical agriculture.
The high Drakensberg mountains, which form the
south-eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited skiing opportunities
in winter.

The coldest place in South Africa, is Sutherland in the western Roggeveld Mountains, where midwinter temperatures can reach as low as
-5
degrees Celsius . The deep interior has the hottest temperatures: A
temperature of 51.7 °C (125 °F) was recorded in 1948 in the Northern Cape
Kalahari near Upington.

South Africa is one of only 17 countries worldwide considered mega-diverse. It
has more than 20,000 different plants, or about 10% of all the known species
of plants on Earth, making it particularly rich in plant biodiversity. South
Africa is the 6th most bio-diverse country, after Brazil, Colombia,
Indonesia, China, and Mexico.

The most prevalent biome in South Africa is
the grassland, particularly on the Highveld, where the plant cover is
dominated by different grasses, low shrubs, and acacia trees, mainly
camel-thorn and whitethorn. Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the
northwest due to low rainfall.

There are several species of water-storing
succulents like aloes and euphorbias in the very hot and dry Namaqualand
area. The grass and thorn savannah turns slowly into a bush savannah towards
the north-east of the country, with denser growth. There are significant
numbers of baobab trees in this area, near the northern end of Kruger
National Park.

The Fynbos Biome, which makes up the majority of the area and plant life in
the Cape floristic region, one of the six floral kingdoms, is located in a
small region of the Western Cape and contains more than 9,000 of those
species, making it among the richest regions on earth in terms of floral
biodiversity. The majority of the plants are evergreen hard-leaf plants with
fine, needle-like leaves, such as the sclerophyllous plants.

Another
uniquely South African plant is the protea genus of flowering plants. There
are around 130 different species of protea in South Africa.

While South Africa has a great wealth of flowering plants, it has few forests.
Only 1% of South Africa is forest, almost exclusively in the humid coastal
plain along the Indian Ocean in KwaZulu-Natal (see KwaZulu-Cape coastal
forest mosaic). There are even smaller reserves of forests that are out of
the reach of fire, known as montane forests (see Knysna-Amatole montane
forests).

Plantations of imported tree species are predominant, particularly
the non-native eucalyptus and pine. South Africa has lost a large area of
natural habitat in the last four decades, primarily due to overpopulation,
sprawling development patterns and deforestation during the nineteenth
century.

South Africa is one of the worst affected countries in the world,
when it comes to invasion by alien plant species with many (e.g. Black Wattle,
Port Jackson, Hakea, Lantana and Jacaranda) posing a significant threat to
the native biodiversity and the already scarce water resources. The original
temperate forest that met the first European settlers to
South Africa was exploited ruthlessly until
only small patches remained. Currently, South African hardwood trees like
Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), stinkwood (Ocotea bullata), and
South African Black Ironwood (Olea laurifolia) are under government
protection.

The Cape Floral Kingdom has been identified as
one of the global biodiversity hotspots since it will be hit very hard by
climate change and has such a great diversity of life. Drought, increased
intensity and frequency of fire and climbing temperatures are expected to
push many of these rare species towards extinction.

The rand (sign: R; code: ZAR) is the currency of South Africa. It takes its
name from the Witwatersrand (White-waters-ridge in English), the ridge upon
which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits
were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents.

South Africa is a nation of more than 49 million people of diverse origins,
cultures, languages, and religions. The last census was held in 2001 and the
next will be in 2011. Statistics South Africa provided five racial
categories by which people could classify themselves, the last of which,
"unspecified/other" drew negligible responses, and these results were
omitted. The 2006 midyear estimated figures for the other categories were
Black African at 79.5%, White at 9.2%, Coloured at 8.9%, and Indian or Asian
at 2.5%.

By far the major part of the population classified itself as African or black,
but it is not culturally or linguistically homogeneous. Major ethnic groups
include the Zulu, Xhosa, Basotho (South Sotho), Bapedi (North Sotho), Venda,
Tswana, Tsonga, Swazi and Ndebele, all of which speak Bantu languages. Some,
such as the Zulu, Xhosa, Bapedi and Venda groups, are unique to South
Africa.

Other groups are distributed across the borders with neighbours of
South Africa: The Basotho group is also the major ethnic group in Lesotho.

The Tswana ethnic group constitute the majority of the population of
Botswana.

The Swazi ethnic group is the major ethnic group in Swaziland.

The
Ndebele ethnic group is also found in Matabeleland in Zimbabwe, where they
are known as the Matabele. These Ndebele people are the descendants of a
Zulu faction under the warrior Mzilikazi that escaped persecution from Shaka
by migrating to their current territory.

The Tsonga ethnic group is also
found in southern Mozambique, where they are known as the Shangaan.

The
white population is not ethnically homogeneous and descend from many ethnic
groups: Dutch, Flemish, Portuguese, German, Greek, French Huguenot, English,
Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh. Culturally and linguistically, they are
divided into the Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans, and English-speaking
groups, many of whom are descended from British and Irish immigrants.

The country also recognizes eight non-official languages: Fanagalo, Khoe,
Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, San and South African Sign Language.
These non-official languages may be used in certain official uses in limited
areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent.
Nevertheless, their populations are not such that they require nationwide
recognition. Many of the "unofficial languages" of the San and Khoikhoi
people contain regional dialects stretching northward into Namibia and
Botswana, and elsewhere. These people, who are a physically distinct
population from other Africans, have their own cultural identity based on
their hunter-gatherer societies. They have been marginalised to a great
extent, and many of their languages are in danger of becoming extinct.

Many white South Africans also speak other European languages, such as
Portuguese (also spoken by Angolan and Mozambicans), German, and
Greek, while some Asians and Indians in South Africa speak South Asian
languages, such as Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu and Telugu. French is still
widely spoken by French South Africans especially in places like Franschhoek, where many South Africans are of French origin. South African
French is spoken by less than 10,000 individuals. Congolese French is also
spoken in South Africa by migrants.

Most people other than rural black Africans speak English, although not many
as a first language.
Only about 9% of the population speak English as a
first language, although about 60% of the population can understand English.
South African English is heavily influenced by Afrikaans.

Afrikaans is also
widely spoken, especially by the white and coloured population. Often
Afrikaans is incorrectly called 'afrikan' or 'african' by foreigners.

Note
this is very incorrect as 'African' for a South African corresponds with the
native-African languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi etc. (and, of course, there are
thousands of languages in Africa, so no single language can be called
'African').

Afrikaans has roots in 17th century Dutch dialects, so it can be
understood by Dutch and Flemish speakers and sometimes deciphered by German speakers.

Other widely spoken languages are Zulu (mainly in KwaZulu-Natal - South
Africa's largest single linguistic group) and Xhosa (mainly in the Western
Cape and Eastern Cape), as well as Sotho and Venda. This changes, according
to the region you are in.

When apartheid ended in 1994, the South African government had to integrate
the formerly independent and semi-independent Bantustans into the political
structure of South Africa. To this end, it abolished the four former
provinces of South Africa (Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State, and
Transvaal) and replaced them with nine fully integrated provinces.

The new
provinces are usually much smaller than the former provinces, which
theoretically gives local governments more resources to distribute over
smaller areas.

The nine
provinces are further subdivided into 52 districts: 6 metropolitan and 46
district municipalities. The 46 district municipalities are further
subdivided into 231 local municipalities. The district municipalities also
contain 20 district management areas (mostly game parks) that are directly
governed by the district municipalities. The six metropolitan municipalities
perform the functions of both district and local municipalities. The new
provinces are:

1. Eastern Cape (Bhisho)

2. Free State (Bloemfontein)

3. Gauteng (Pretoria)

4. KwaZulu-Natal (Durban)

5. Limpopo (Polokwane)

6. Mpumalanga (Nelspruit)

7. Northern Cape (Kimberley)

8. North West (Rustenburg)

9. Western Cape (Cape Town)

Cities:

Pretoria
- The administrative capital of the country. Johannesburg is the seat
the provincial government, also the economic heart of Africa and the
most common entry point into Southern Africa.

Cape
Town - The legislative capital and seat of Parliament. A world-class
city named for its proximity to the Cape of Good Hope. Also within a
stone's throw of South Africa's winelands. Cape Town, the mother city,
with famous landmarks as Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. The
winelands near Stellenbosch, the Whale Coast along the Overberg, Agulhas
where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet and the Cape Floral Region. The
Garden Route, one of the top destinations, running along the Southern
Coast from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth, with cities like Knysna and
ostrich capital Oudtshoorn.

Bloemfontein
- Location of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the highest court in
non-constitutional matters. The Constitutional Court in Johannesburg
became the highest court in constitutional matters in 1994. The world
heritage site Vredefort Dome, remnants of the largest and oldest
meteorite impact crater.

Durban
- Largest city in KwaZulu-Natal ,second largest in South Africa and
popular coastal holiday destination for South Africans. The Drakensberg
mountain range, if you like hiking and also the Tugela Falls, worlds
second highest waterfall.

Johannesburg
- The economic heart of Africa and the most common entry point into
Southern Africa.

Polokwane
- Capital of Limpopo (formally known as Pietersburg) and a good jump off
point for visits to the northern parts of the Kruger National Park and
Zimbabwe.

Port
Elizabeth- Coastal city in the Eastern Cape with Addo Elephant
National Park located close by.

Kimberley
- Capital of the Northern Cape Province. Famous for its diamonds and
"Big Hole". Biggest province with fewest people, Upington is the second
big city, a good base when exploring the Kalahari desert, Kgalagadi
Trans-frontier Park and the Augrabies Falls on the Orange River. Also
Ai-Ais / Richtersveld Trans-frontier Park and the semi-desert Karoo.

Upington
- Located in the arid Northern Cape province, this city is a good base
when exploring the Kalahari desert and the many national parks located
in the Northern Cape.

Rustenburg - Capital of North West, famous for Sun City and
Pilanesberg Game Reserve.

Nelspruit
- Capital of Mpumalanga and gateway to Mozambique and southern section
of the Kruger National Park. The Drakensberg Escarpment with the Blyde
River Canyon is the third largest Canyon in the world.

Bhisho - The remainder of
the Garden Route, the former homelands, the Wild Coast, spectacular
coastlines without the tourist crowd. Superb beaches in Port Elizabeth
and Jeffreys Bay, the surfing capitol of South Africa. Great parks like
Addo Elephant National Park and Tsitsikamma National Park.

National Parks:

South Africa is a paradise for anyone
interested in natural history. A wide range of species (some potentially
dangerous) may be encountered in parks, farms, private reserves and even on
the roads.

* The
Kruger National Park is
exceptionally well managed and a favourite tourist destination.
* Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the heart of the Kalahari desert
with wide open spaces and hordes of games including the majestic 'Gemsbok'.
This is the first park in Africa to cross political borders.
* There are also a large number of smaller parks, like the
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, Addo Elephant National Park,
Pilanesberg National Park
or the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

There are hiking trails available in almost
all the parks and around geographical places of interest,

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

*
The Cradle
of Humankind, near Johannesburg is a must see for anyone interested in
where it all started. A large collection of caves rich in hominid and
advanced ape fossils.
* Robben
Island
just off the coast from Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for
many years.
* The Cape
Floral Region in the Western Cape
* iSimangaliso Wetland Park,
* Mapungubwe
Kingdom, in the North-West
* Ukhahlamba
Drakensberg Park, [7], for its landscape, biodiversity and rock art.
* Vredefort
Dome, remnants of the largest and oldest meteorite impact crater.

Place names:

Many region,
city, street and building names in South Africa have been changed after the
end of apartheid and some of them are still being changed today. These
changes can sometimes lead to confusion as many of the new names are not yet
well known. This travel guide will use the official new names, but also
mention the previous names where possible.

Climate:

The climate in South Africa ranges from desert and semi-desert in the north
west of the country to sub-tropical on the eastern coastline. The rainy
season for most of the country is in the summer, except in the Western Cape
where the rains come in the winter. Rainfall in the Eastern Cape is
distributed evenly throughout the year. Winter temperatures hover around
zero, summers can be very hot, in excess of 35 Celsius in some places.

Getting in:

Visas:

Most nationalities get up to 3 months entry
on arrival. Check with the Home Affairs and your travel agent whether you
need to prearrange a visa. Do not show up without a visa if you are required
to have one, as visas will not be issued at points of entry. If needed, you
can extend your visa in South Africa. With an extension the total amount of
time you are allowed to stay is 6 months. Additional information as well as
Visa application forms can be found at the Department of Home Affairs.

The Department of Home Affairs is
notoriously inefficient, so make sure to apply for visas and visa extensions
as early as possible.

By plane:

South Africa has a well established domestic air travel infrastructure with links between all major centres and
is a major hub for air travel in the Southern African region.

The two most used airports for international flights are Cape Town International and OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

There are regular flights arrive in South Africa from major centres throughout Africa.

Direct flights also arrive from major European centres, including:
London, Frankfurt, Zurich.

There are also direct flights from Dubai, Bangkok, Doha, Atlanta, New York and Perth.

National:

There are multiple daily flights to all the major airports within the country. Contact any of the airlines for details.
The low cost airlines (1 Time, Kulula, Mango) are usually the cheapest and prices can be compared online. It is also worth comparing with the SAA rates
as they usually have online specials which are very reasonable.

By car:

Road traffic in South Africa (and its neighbouring countries) drives on the
left.

Make sure you understand the South African
road signs.

A special kind of crossing is the 'four way
stop' where the car that stops first has right of way.

You will not encounter many traffic
circles, but when you do, take special care since the general attitude of
South African drivers is that traffic circles do not constitute a traffic
management roadway structure. They do not use their indicators in a safe and
predictable fashion, if at all.

A noticeable number of South Africans tend
to ignore speed limits. They are prone to selfish or aggressive driving
behaviour, such as tailgating and hooting. On multi-lane roadways, the
principle of keep-left, pass right, is often not adhered to.

Left (or right) turns on red at traffic
lights are illegal. You will, however, find traffic lights and 'four way
stops' that have an accompanying yield sign explicitly permitting a left
turn.

The wearing of seat belts is compulsory.
The front seat occupants of a car are required to wear seat belts while
travelling, and for your own safety it is recommended that those in the rear
seats do so as well. If you are caught without you will be subject to a
fine.

The use of hand-held cell (mobile) phones
whilst in control of a vehicle is illegal. If you need to speak on your cell
phone use either a vehicle phone attachment or a hands-free kit. Or even
better (and safer), pull off the road and stop. NOTE: only pull off the road
at safe places, example: a petrol station. Pulling over and stopping along roads
can be dangerous. 99% of petrol stations are open 24hr.

Safety - Beware - High Crime Rate in Certain City Areas:

South Africa has a high rate of traffic
accidents. You should at all times exercise extra caution when driving,
especially at night in urban areas. Watch out for unsafe drivers (minibus
taxis), poor lighting, cyclists (many of whom seem not to know about the
"drive on the left" rule) and pedestrians (who are the cause of many
accidents, especially at night).

When driving outside of the major cities
you will often encounter animals, wild and domestic, in or near the roadway.
The locals tend to herd their cattle and goats near the road. If you see an
animal on or by the road, slow down, as they are unpredictable. Do not stop
to feed wild animals!

Should you find yourself waiting at a red
traffic light late at night in an area where you do not feel safe, you could
(illegally) cross over the red light after first carefully checking that
there is no other traffic. If you receive a fine due to a camera on the
traffic light you can sometimes have it waived by writing a letter to the
traffic department or court explaining that you crossed safely and on
purpose, due to security reasons. The fact remains that, for whatever
reason, you have broken the law. Do not make a habit of this.

When stopped at a traffic light at night
always leave enough room between your car and the car in front of you so you
can get around them. It is a common hijacking manoeuvre to box your car in.
This is especially prevalent in the suburbs of Johannesburg.

So far as possible, and especially when
driving in urban areas, try not to have any belongings visible inside the
car - keep them out of sight in the glove boxes or in the boot (trunk). The
same applies, but even more so, when parking your car. It is also considered
safe practice to drive in urban areas with the car windows closed and the
doors locked. These simple precautions will make things less attractive for
potential thieves and criminals.

As you would do in any other country,
always be alert when driving. The safest way is to drive defensively and
assume that the other driver is about to do something dangerous /
illegal.

Road System:

Speed limits are usually clearly indicated.
Generally, speed limits on highways are 120km/h, those on major roads
outside built-up areas are 100 km/h, those on major roads within built-up
areas are 80km/h and those on normal city/town roads are 60 km/h. But beware
- in some areas the posted speed limits may change suddenly and
unexpectedly.

The roads within South Africa, connecting
most major cities, and between its immediate neighbours are very good. There
are many national and regional road connecting the cities and larger
centres, including the N1 running from Cape Town through Johannesburg and
Pretoria up to Harare, Zimbabwe, the N2 running from Cape Town to Durban,
which passes through the world-famous Garden Route near Knysna, and the N3
between Durban and Johannesburg.

Some portions of the national roads are
limited access, dual carriage freeways (the N3 between Johannesburg and
Durban is freeway almost all the way) and some sections are also toll roads
with emergency assist telephones every couple of kilometres. Toll roads
generally have two or more lanes in each direction.

The large fuel companies have rest stops
every 200-300 km along these highways where you can fill up, eat at a
restaurant, buy takeaways, do some shopping or just stretch your legs.
Restrooms at these facilities are well maintained and clean. Most (but not
all) of these rest stops also have ATMs.

Some of the main roads have only one lane
in each direction, especially where they are far from urban centres. When
driving on such a road, after passing a truck or other slow-moving vehicle
that has moved onto the hard shoulder (often marked by a yellow line) to let
you pass, it is customary to flash your hazard lights once. This is
considered a thank you and you will most likely receive a my pleasure
response in the the form of the slow vehicle flashing its headlights once.
Bear in mind that it is both illegal and dangerous to drive on the hard
shoulder - although many people do.

In many rural areas you will find unpaved
"dirt" roads. Most of these are perfectly suitable for a normal car,
although a reduced speed might often be advisable. Extra caution is required
when driving on these road, especially when encountering other traffic -
windscreens and lights broken by flying stones are not uncommon.

Whilst it is not yet compulsory, more and
more drivers are adopting the practice of driving with their headlights on
at all times. This greatly increases their visibility to other road users.

Fuel Stations:

Fuel stations are full service with lead
free petrol, lead replacement petrol and diesel available. Pump attendants
will offer to wash your windscreen and check oil and water in addition to
just filling up the car. It is usual to tip the attendant approximately R5.
Most fuel stations are open 24 hours a day.

The N1 between Gauteng and Cape Town and
the N3 between Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal can become very busy at the start
and end of Gauteng school holidays, due to many people from Gauteng spending
their holidays at the coast. If you are planning on using these two
highways, it is wise to try and avoid the two days after schools break up
and the two days before they open again.

The N3 normally have a Highway Customer
Care line during busy periods, phone: 0800 203 950, it can be used to
request assistance for breakdowns, accidents or general route information.

Most fuel stations do take credit cards,
but beware of credit card fraud.
From a tourist perspective, it's CASH ONLY.

The Law:

Law enforcement (speed and other
violations) is usually done by portable or stationary, radar or laser
cameras. Fines will be sent to the registered address of the vehicle you are
driving. Non camera portable radar and laser systems are also used and you
may be pulled over for speeding (or other violations) and given a written
fine.

South Africa currently does not have a
merits system and does not share traffic violation information with other
nations.

Licence Requirements:

If your driver's licence is in any of South
Africa's 11 official languages (e.g. English) and it contains a photo and
your signature integrated into the licence document, then it is legally
acceptable as a valid driver's license in South Africa. However, some car
rental and insurance companies may still insist that you provide an
International Driver's Permit.

It is generally best practice to acquire an
International Driver's Permit in your country of origin, prior to starting
your journey, regardless of whether your license is legally acceptable or
not.

By bus:

There are scheduled bus services between
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other cities (with stops in between), as
well as connections to neighbouring countries.

Water: Municipal tap water is safe to drink in most towns and cities.

Drinking: The legal age to purchase and drink alcohol
in South Africa is 18. Almost all restaurants are licensed to serve liquor.

Be very careful if someone offers you
witblits or mampoer; those are the local names for moonshine or firewater.
It's extremely high in alcohol content and packs a lethal blow.

Beer:

Local beer production is dominated by
SABMiller with Castle, Hansa, Black Label and Castle Milk Stout being most
popular brands.

Imported beers such as Stella Artois and
Grolsch are also widely available.

Prices can vary widely depending on the
establishment. Expect to pay anything from R7 to R18 for a beer.

Wine

South Africa has a well established wine
industry with most of the wine produced concentrated in the Cape Winelands
in the Western Cape and along the Orange River in the Northern Cape

Liquors:

Amarula Cream is made from the marula
fruit. The marula fruit is a favourite treat for African elephants, baboons
and monkeys and in the liqueur form definitely not something to be passed
over by humans. Pour over crushed ice and enjoy. The taste, colour and
texture is very similar to the world famous Baileys Irish Cream. Cape Velvet
is a favourite in and around Cape Town.

Tea and Coffee:

The local Rooibos tea, made from a herb from the Cederberg Mountains is a favourite for many South Africans. You will find coffee shops in most shopping malls.

Stay safe:

South Africa has some of the highest violent crime rates in the world but by being vigilant and using
common sense you should have a safe and pleasant trip -- as hundreds of thousands of people have each year. The key is to know and stick to general
safety precautions e.g. don't walk around in deserted areas at night, don't advertise possessions of money and expensive accessories.

Do not accept offers from overly friendly strangers.

Do not wear jewellery or expensive watches.

Do not wear a tummy bag with all your valuables. Distribute your valuables in inside pockets and other pockets.

Do not carry large sums of money. Do not walk by night in deserted places.

Don't make it obvious you are a tourist - conceal your camera and binoculars.

Do not leave your valuables in plain sight when driving in your car, as "smash and grab" attacks do
sometimes occur at intersections, and keep your car doors locked, and windows closed. Know where to go so that you don't have to reveal you're lost or need a map -- simply all the obvious "I am a tourist" signs.

Visiting the townships is
possible, but don't do it alone unless you really know where you're going.
Some townships are safe, while others can be extremely dangerous. It's best
to go with an experienced guide. Some tour companies offer guided visits to
the townships, and this is perfectly safe.

South Africa has very rarely earthquakes, with no tornadoes. There is the occasional floods or extreme heavy rain.

Contagious diseases: There is no Ebola in South Africa. Please keep in mind: with the notable exception of HIV.

Sunburn: Many activities in South Africa are outdoors, see the sunburn and sun protection travel topic for tips on how to protect yourself.

HIV and AIDS:

South Africa has one of the largest HIV
infection rates world-wide. 5.4 million people out of a population of 48
million are HIV-positive (South African Medical Research Council).

The HIV infection rate in the total
population older than 2 years varies from around 2% in the Western Cape to
over 17% in KwaZulu-Natal (Avert and all together 18.8% of South Africans
over 15 years of age are HIV-Positive (UNICEF). One in four females and one
in five males aged 20 to 40 is estimated to be infected (Avert).

Only about 10% of the world's population
lives in Sub-Sahara Africa, but the same population includes 70% of the
world's HIV infected individuals (CDC).

For your own safety, DO NOT HAVE
UNPROTECTED SEX.

Malaria:

The north-eastern areas of the country
(including the Kruger National Park and St. Lucia and surrounds) are
seasonal malaria zones, from about November to May. The peak danger time is
just after the wet season from March to May. Consult a physician regarding
appropriate precautions, depending on the time of year you will be
travelling. The most important defence against malaria are:

* using a DEET-based mosquito repellent
* covering your skin with long-sleeved clothing, especially around dusk; and
* using mosquito nets while sleeping.

"Tabbard" and "Peaceful Sleep" are commonly used mosquito repellents and can be bought almost anywhere.

Also read the Malaria and Mosquitoes travel topics.

Smoking:

Except for pubs, smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, these include airports, shopping malls and theatres.

Most restaurants do have smoking sections, either ventilated indoor areas or outdoor open areas.

Wildlife: One of the main reasons travellers visit South Africa is to experience the outdoors and see the wide range of
wildlife.

When driving in a wildlife reserve, always keep to the speed limits and stay inside your car at all times. On game
drives or walks, always follow the instructions of your guide.

Ensure that you wear socks and boots whenever you are walking in the bush; do not wear open sandals. A good pair of boots
can stop snake and insect bites and avoid any possible cuts that may lead to infections.

In many areas you may encounter wildlife while driving on public roads, monkeys and baboons are especially common. Do
not get out of the vehicle to take photos or otherwise try to interact with
the animals. These are wild animals and their actions can be unpredictable.

Sometimes you might find yourself in the open with wild animals (often happens with baboons at Cape Point). Keep your
distance and always ensure that the animals are only to one side of you, do not walk between two groups or individuals. A female baboon may get rather
upset if you separate her from her child.

Always check with locals before swimming in a river or lake as there may be crocodiles or hippos. Most major beaches in
KwaZulu-Natal have shark nets installed. If you intend to swim anywhere
other that the main beaches, check with a local first. Note that shark nets
may be removed for a couple of days during the annual sardine run (normally
along the KwaZulu-Natal coast between early May and late July). This is done
to avoid excessive shark and other marine life fatalities. Notices are
posted on beaches during these times.

Old History:
The first known inhabitants of present-day South Africa were San and
Khoikhoi hunters and gatherers; they were followed southward by Bantu-speaking peoples between AD 1000 and 1500. In 1488, Portuguese mariners led by Bartolomeu DIAS rounded the Cape of Good Hope.

The Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck established the first European settlement at Table Bay (now Cape Town) in 1652 as a station for the Dutch East India Company. Dutch pioneers spread eastward, and in 1779 war broke out between Xhosas migrating south and the
Dutch near the Great Fish River.

Britain controlled the Cape sporadically during the Napoleonic Wars and formally received the territory in 1814 under
provisions made by the Congress of Vienna. Large-scale British settlement began in 1820. To preserve their Calvinist way of life, the
Dutch (Boer) farmers began (1836) to move into the interior on the so-called GREAT TREK.

The Voortrekkers eventually set up independent republics, including the Orange Free State (1854) and the South African Republic (1852; later the Transvaal).
The discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 1800s drew British immigrant
entrepreneurs (Uitlanders, or "foreigners") into the interior, and conflict
over ownership ensued. Paul KRUGER (Oom Paul), leader of the
Transvaal, resisted British attempts to claim the area, including those by
Cecil RHODES, prime minister of the British-controlled Cape Colony, who
encouraged the Uitlanders to take over the Transvaal. The unsuccessful
Jameson Raid, engineered by the British and intended to aid the Uitlanders
in an uprising, added to the mounting tension.

Eventually, the SOUTH AFRICAN WAR
(1899-1902) erupted between the British and the Boers, with the British the
victors. In this war the British introduced CONCENTRATION CAMPS in which
26,000 Boer women and children died. In 1910 such leaders as Jan SMUTS
helped create the Union of South Africa, with dominion status, out of the
former British colonies and the two defeated Boer republics. Louis
BOTHA, a moderate Afrikaner advocating close cooperation with the British,
became the first prime minister.

Between the two world wars, mining and
manufacturing expanded. The Depression of the 1930s, however, forced black
Africans and white farmers alike into the cities to compete for unskilled
jobs. As a result, both African and Afrikaner nationalism emerged.
At the same time, a segregationist policy was adopted by James Barry
HERTZOG'S government (1924-39) to preserve South Africa as a white country
in which black Africans would be restricted as far as possible to reserves.

The Coloured population, whose voting rights had been protected by the 1910
constitution, was disenfranchised.
The Introduction of Apartheid
In 1948, Daniel F. MALAN'S National party was elected to office and introduced the policy of
apartheid--"separate development"--which was designed to ensure white
supremacy. During the premiership of Hendrik F. VERWOERD, parliament adopted
the Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act, which created the legal
machinery by which ten African homelands would eventually receive
independence.

The homelands, reserved for 74% of the country's total
population, were territorially fragmented and overpopulated and had limited
resources, although parts of them were later consolidated to make them more
viable. Transkei received nominal independence in 1976, Bophuthatswana a
year later, Venda in 1979, and Ciskei in 1981. No country except South
Africa recognized the homelands as independent countries. About 9 million
blacks in the ethnic groups associated with these homelands lost their South
African citizenship at independence; later government proposals to restore
citizenship to those who qualified as permanent residents of white South
Africa have applied to fewer than 2 million of them.

Reform and Reaction Under P. W. BOTHA, who replaced B. J.VORSTER as prime minister in 1978, the South African government began what
it believed were major political and social reforms. In 1979, for example,
it legalized black labour unions, and in 1985 it repealed the ban on
multiracial political parties, ended limits on the number of black workers
that could be employed by industrial concerns, and repealed the law
prohibiting persons to marry outside their racial group. The hated pass
laws that had controlled the movement of blacks to the cities were scrapped
in 1986, and blacks were granted limited property rights in black urban
areas, although new forms of influx control were imposed on inhabitants of
the independent homelands. In 1987 the government proposed some
modifications to the Group Areas Act, under which all urban areas are
racially segregated.

The new constitution, however, continued to deny the
country's black majority the right to vote in national elections and gave
only limited power to Coloureds and Asians. The homelands policy continued.

The reforms met with mixed reaction.
Ultra-conservatives within the National party, criticizing the departures
from the basic tenets of apartheid, defected to form two new parties--the
Herstigte Nasionale party and the Conservative party. The Conservative
party garnered enough votes in the 1987 parliamentary elections to replace
the moderate Progressive Federal Labour party as the official opposition,
although the National Party retained its majority and Botha remained state
president.

The reforms, generally viewed as an attempt
by whites to share power without losing control, largely failed to satisfy
black aspirations. Elections for new black town councils with greater
local authority, first held in 1983, were boycotted by about 80% of black
voters. In 1984 the United Democratic Front (UDF)--a multiracial
umbrella group for some 600 community, labor, student, church, and women's
groups--urged Asians and Coloureds to boycott the first elections under the
new constitution; less than 20% of eligible voters cast ballots. Most
blacks also boycotted the 1988 municipal elections. In the white
municipalities, the Conservatives made substantial gains in the 1988
elections and threatened to reverse some of the reforms. Another
group, the black-consciousness Azanian People's Organization (AZAPO),
rejected any idea of power-sharing with whites.

Nelson MANDELA, the leader of the banned ANC,
was removed from jail for medical treatment in 1988. Almost all groups
demanded that the government permanently release the most popular leader
among blacks and include him in any power-sharing negotiations. Moderate
black spokesmen such as Bishop Desmond TUTU had considerable success in
their campaign to persuade foreign- owned businesses operating in South
Africa to disinvest, although overseas investment in South Africa remained
substantial. Another moderate, Zulu chief Gatsha Buthelezi, and the
political leaders of Natal province proposed a merger of the KwaZulu
homeland with Natal to create a new, non-racial political entity. The
proposal was rejected by both the government and the ANC, although Natal and
KwaZulu did establish a joint executive council in 1987.

Black protest against apartheid, including
rent strikes, consumer and school boycotts, demonstrations, and strikes,
increased. So did violence--against the police, against blacks
cooperating with the white regime, and against members of rival political
and ethno linguistic groups--particularly in the black townships. The
government responded by cracking down on dissent. More than 2,000
people died between September 1984 and June 1986, when the government
imposed a strict nationwide state of emergency just before the tenth
anniversary of the Soweto uprising. Thousands of government opponents
were imprisoned without trial, and severe restrictions were placed on press
coverage of the violence. The state of emergency was renewed (1987,
1988, 1989), and additional restrictions imposed on the UDF and other
anti-apartheid groups further narrowed legitimate avenues of black protest.

In the September 1989 parliamentary
elections, the National party lost seats to both the right and the left, but
an overall majority went to candidates advocating cautious reform.
Significant changes took place in 1990. The 30-year ban on the ANC was
lifted on February 2, and ANC leader Nelson MANDELA, the most popular leader
among blacks, was released on February 11. F. W. de Klerk
pledged to end apartheid, and the state of emergency was lifted in all
provinces except Natal, where more than 3,000 blacks had died since 1986 in
a struggle between supporters of the ANC and those backing the rival
Inkatha.

In August the ANC abandoned its armed struggle against the
government. In 1991 the basic apartheid laws were repealed, the UDF
was disbanded, and the government accepted a UN-supervised plan for the
return of political exiles. Formal negotiations to end white minority
rule that began in December 1991 were endorsed by white voters in March
1992.

The talks broke down after a June 1992 massacre of ANC
supporters in the black township of Boipatong in which South African
security forces were said to be implicated. In September, after a
massacre of ANC demonstrators on the Ciskei border, the government adopted
measures to reduce black-on-black violence, which had claimed more than
6,500 lives since early 1990.

Foreign Affairs:
Regionally and internationally, South Africa became more isolated and more confrontational by the mid-1980s.
Although it had signed nonaggression pacts with Swaziland (1982) and Mozambique (1984) and a cease-fire with Angola (1984), its defence forces struck repeatedly at suspected ANC bases in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique,
Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and it continued to wage war in Angola and Namibia against nationalist guerrillas of the South West Africa People's
Organization (SWAPO). In addition, it allegedly continued its support of indigenous antigovernment guerrillas in Angola and Mozambique. International pressure to end apartheid seemed to have little effect.

In 1991, however, the dismantling of apartheid led to the lifting of many of the international sanctions imposed on South Africa, including a ban on its participation in the Olympic Games. The nation's relations with the rest of Africa improved after Namibia gained
independence (1990) and peace accords were signed in Angola (1991) and Mozambique (1992).